Chargers have to feel good about Raiders paying over $100 million for Geno Smith

The Los Angeles Chargers are among one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. Paired with the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as the Denver Broncos who are also on the rise, it won't be easy for the Chargers from here on out.

One team that doesn't seem to have kept up with the rest of the division is the Las Vegas Raiders, who own the No.6 overall pick in this month's draft but have already made a major splash at the quarterback position. Last month, the Raiders acquired former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick.

The trade reunited Smith with new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, as both spent two seasons together in Seattle.

Smith saw a career resurgence with Carroll and the Seahawks, inking a three-year, $105 million deal in 2023. Smith and the Seahawks couldn't agree on another extension, hence why they traded him to Las Vegas. Now, the Raiders locked Smith in to a two year, $85.5 million deal with $66.5 million guaranteed—the remainder of his last contract, combined with the new, puts the Raiders on the hook for north of $100 million.

The Chargers, along with the rest of the AFC West, should be happy that the Raiders decided to make Smith their starter for the foreseeable future. While Smith had a solid year in 2022, it hasn't been all that great since. He's coming off of a 21 touchdown/15 interception season. While his completion percentage (70.4) and passing yards (4,320) were career highs, there's a reason why Seattle was hesitant to pay him.

If Smith couldn't put up elite numbers with a receiving core of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, what exactly is he going to do with the Raiders? Of course, they have star Brock Bowers on their roster, but if defenses zero in on him, there isn't another threat on the roster.

The Chargers can overwhelm Smith in the pocket, especially with the Raiders' iffy offensive line. Another important factor here is that Smith is currently 34 years old and will turn 35 during the season. Some quarterbacks get better with age, but some wouldn't say that Smith is going to be one of them.

The Raiders opted to go for a bandaid fix at the quarterback position rather than trying to find their guy for the next 10-15 years and the Chargers should be celebrating.

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